We'll Make The World Bow
by ARMV7
Summary: "No," Max refused, she wanted Chloe by her side, "We, will make the world bow."


_**I know this isn't any of the prompts I should be doing, but Episode 3's ending just... whoa. So, here's some sweet Pricefield, for the sake of my feels.**_

 _"Grow up! You're not the only one in Arcadia Bay who has problems!"_

"Insert groan here..." Max whispered, taking her time getting up the Blackwell Academy steps _. "You are such a colossal fuck-up, sometimes..."_ The brunette's words turned to thoughts as she sauntered toward her dorm.

Max labeled the last twenty-four hours as "crazy-shit-fun". Breaking into Principle Well's office, and ransacking a crazed drug dealer's RV was the "crazy shit" portion. Going for a midnight swim with the girl she may or may not have fallen for, then an impromptu sleepover, followed by a kiss made up the "fun" portion.

It was also the portion that made Max blush the most.

But the last _five-minutes_ , the photographer had somehow found a way to screw shit up.

Finding out that Rachel may have had a "thing" with Frank, and decided not to tell Chloe about it; was probably the worst time for Max to shout at her like that.

She could still hear the roar of Chloe's truck in the distance, it raised and lowered in octave; signaling that she was probably driving like a maniac before fading off completely.

Max shuddered a bit, regretting what she couldn't have held back in the truck. She didn't mean to yell at Chloe like that, but that was one of those times the punk just ground on Max's last nerve -completely shutting out everyone's aid and forcing herself in the locker of "Self-loathing Chloe".

As Max reached the dorm; she continued to think. She knew everyone that had come across Chloe almost always had the same story about her. Bad, loud-mouthed, rebellious, and hard to deal with. As much as Max hated to admit it, sometimes she felt similar. Like being around Chloe was like walking on thin ice.

Max was one of few who knew better.

She knows Chloe so much better than the punk façade she put on every day. She knows how broken Chloe is on the inside -crying out for someone.

 _"Probably why she got over me leaving, so fast."_

Max used to think otherwise. She thought her entry back into Chloe's life -and the sudden acceptance of it- was just a patch on things until they found Rachel. And as soon as they did; Chloe would ditch and head to Los Angeles.

Last night at the pool was where things... _changed._

 _"That was some sappy stuff, but... it was nice."_ Max's thoughts revolved around Chloe's 'Don't be so sad. I'm never leaving you...' line. Things changed. And Max felt like she was a staple in Chloe's life again.

 _"Not stumbling in time. This is real."_

Her dorm room door came soon enough. The Rachel-clad brunette slipped inside. She faced the open window, forming a tiny grin at the sun setting below the bay. The sights were soothing almost. It made everything below the window-line dark. Covering up the piling mess that blanketed her room.

 _"Looks like a tornado tore through here,"_ Max choked a little, _"Okay, bad joke, probably shouldn't crack jokes about what I'm probably gonna fail at stopping..."_

She haphazardly tossed her bag next to the couch before making a grand flop onto her cozy bed -completely ignoring Nathan's "Art" on her wall.

 _"Just... need to get my mind off shit..."_

Her phone was the only bastion of hope in this situation, _"What's better than pirated music, and shitty phone games?"_ Max reached for the device. Chloe had been 95% right when it came to Rachel being her size, but the jeans were a bit tight. In a poor effort to get her phone out; Max yanked the rest of her pocket's contents out with it.

Her phone hit the floor, amidst bits of pocket change, lint, and...

"Oh..." Max elicited softly. Her doe-eyes landing on the Polaroid of her young self, and Chloe.

A _happier_ Chloe.

A gift from Joyce. The gift of memories. Something Max hated herself for not remembering. Sometimes she really did feel like she was stumbling in time. Too stupid to understand how things actually worked. The brunette didn't want for any of this to happen, but her pessimistic side shouted that it was her that made Chloe end up the way she is.

 _"Like I was controlling time before I even knew I could."_

Somberly, Max reached out for the photo. She remembered now, of course, _"Of course Max, always when you're too late."_

The photo sat loosely in her palm. She examined it like she'd never seen a photo before. Flipping it over, turning it upside down, even holding it to the light like it held some sort of secret.

A sudden vibration tickled by her feet. It startled to photographer, dropping the photo and looking down to where her phone was next to her foot. She squinted at the caller ID; internally hoping it was Chloe.

"Price J & W? Joyce and... Oh." _"She never changed the caller ID... wonder why she's calling."_ By the third vibration, Max answered it.

"Joyce?" Max timidly asked.

"Oh, Max, thank god you answered," Joyce's tone didn't exuberate its usual calmness.

Max could hear faint clattering in the background, "Is everything okay, you sound worried." "Please don't let it be Chloe..."

"It's Chloe, Max. She came home pretty upset, lotta cussing and threats towards Rachel and a guy named, Frank. Did something happen between ya'll?"

"Shit..." Max tried to keep calm. She allowed for Joyce to continue.

"Max, I tried to get her to calm down; but she's pretty upset this time. You're the only one she'll likely listen to."

There was more clattering in the background, followed by a door slamming shut. It was all the intuition Max needed, "I'll be right over.

"Thanks Max, please hurry though. I think she's trying to leave."

Max immediately hung up the phone. She leapt from her bed and dashed towards the door. Not even bothering to close it behind her.

Curious faces watched as she ran down the girl's dorm hallway, bursting through the doors and racing down the stairs.

Joyce was right, it shocked Max, but she was right. Chloe needed help, not damage control.

And she was the only one that knew how.

 _ **######**_

Merely fifteen minutes later, the bus arrived on Chloe's street. In a heated shuffle, Max raced out of the bus, and jogged half a block to the Price's home. As she came up the street, she could see Chloe just stepping into the open garage.

Max paced by her truck, her foot accidentally stepped on a dry leaf next to it. The impending crunch was enough to blow her cover.

Sharply, Chloe turned to Max, "What're you doing here?"

The brunette winced, _"It looks like she was crying..."_ Her poor skills in these scenarios stopped her from answering.

Chloe turned away. Facing the far back wall of the garage, "Mom called you, didn't she?"

"S-She did, but that doesn't matter. Chloe I-"

"Can nobody in this town leave me the fuck alone?!"

The punk began rummaging around the cupboards above David's computer, "Don't even, Max. This has nothing to do with you."

"What're you talking about?" Max asked, taking small step after small step closer.

"I'm fucking done Max. I'm tired of living in a place where I constantly get fucked over."

Max remembered their conversation from earlier, "Chloe please-"

"What?" The aqua-haired girl sidestepped and glared at Max, "Wanna tell me to grow up? Tell me to forgive and forget? You don't think I hear that every waking hour of my pitiful life?"

"Chloe you still have a life here. Remember what you said at the pool last night? About us, and how were gonna figure shit out?"

Every step Max took; Chloe mimicked the same. Not wanting to be anywhere near her.

"I was being a nostalgic shit again."

Max felt her already weakened resolve failing, "What happened?"

"Oh, I don't know, my Dad dies, my best friend leaves, I get step-shit, but oh! Here's the best part, my other friend, who I thought I could trust; turns out to be going behind my back with some off-the-street drug dealing asswipe!" Chloe's breaths were ragged and audible, "I'm tired of it Max."

Chloe stepped back again, closer to _\- "The gun case? What's she- oh no..."_

The punk picked up on Max's gaze shifting from the case to herself, "Max, you need to leave."

"Chloe no."

"Leave, I'm telling you. Just leave."

"I'm not gonna leave, I know what-"

"Leave Max! Leave like you did before, It wasn't so hard then, so why not now?"

Max felt a sudden anger rise inside of her, "So, what, you're gonna go kill Frank?"

"If he doesn't tell me where Rachel is, yes." She reached the gun case. Kneeling down she patted a small spot underneath of it, producing a small key, "Step-shit always keeps a spare." She fiddled with the lock, Max winced even more as she heard it click open.

"Chloe please! Stop it!" Max choked back a sob, thanking the heavens for not giving the gun to her from Frank's RV.

It was too late. Chloe grabbed the pistol from the top rung and pocketed a few boxes of ammunition.

Max reached her breaking point, "No!" She dashed behind Chloe, forcing her shoulder around. She was beginning to sob, feeling like this was all her fault. The sudden attack startled the punk, giving Max the chance to snatch the gun from Chloe's grasp.

"Listen to me, this isn't the answer," Max saw Chloe's eyes dip down, guided by the tear slipping off Max's cheek, "Rachel didn't betray you, and killing Frank won't solve anything."

"It'll make me feel a little better."

"Shut up! Just shut up! Do you even hear yourself right now?!" Max's voice cracked and thundered, "W-What if you did g-go? And you got hurt instead?"

Chloe couldn't bear to look Max in the eyes. Slowly, she could feel herself coming back down to earth, "Max don't."

"I wouldn't be there to save you."

Max sobs came fully now, her arms trembled with adrenaline and fear. The thought of losing Chloe hitting her hard, "You know how destroyed Joyce would be, if she found out she lost you too?"

Chloe remained silent, feeling heartbroken for putting Max through her bullshit again.

"O-Or if I-I g-got a call in the middle of the n-night, saying you're..."

"Max please, I'm-"

"R-Remember what you said at the pool yesterday? You said you'd never leave me."

Chloe's lip trembled. Her beautiful eyes glossed over with tears, "I know. I'm such an idiot because I know."

Max relinquished her grip on the punk, "Ever since you came back into my life, I don't feel sad and alone here. Yesterday, was so fucking amazing, I-It made me feel like I have a place with you again."

"It d-did?"

"It did. Che... remember when we were kids, and whenever we'd fight or not talk; you'd always be the first one to come over and say sorry?"

"H-Heh, yeah, I... do."

"I was being a stubborn little shit, but you cared, and you came, a-and we always worked stuff out. Well, now it's my turn. I cannot do this alone, and I w-want you to be the one who's there when I think it's impossible," Max mustered a weary grin. Softly placing her hand on Chloe's cheek, wiping a tear away, "I'm not telling you to forgive and forget, but I just want you to know... how much you mean to me."

Chloe sniffed, she wrapped her arms around Max's neck and yanked her into a tight embrace, and she couldn't form words. Just sobs into Max's small shoulder.

The brunette grinned, with a little more assurance now. She stroked Chloe's hair, hushing her to not cry.

"I'm so sorry Max..."

"You don't have to be."

Chloe pulled back, Max wasn't finished yet, "We'll do this together."

"H-Hella yes we are. Once this is over, you're gonna make the world bow with your power."

"No," Max hugged Chloe again, " _We,_ will make the world bow."


End file.
